Missouri Hospitals Predict Loss of 9k Jobs Without Medicaid Expansion

If Missouri does not expand its Medicaid program under the healthcare reform law, state hospitals may be forced to cut more than 9,000 jobs and cost shift more than $1 billion to commercially insured patients, according to a recent report from the Missouri Hospital Association (pdf).

Overall, the MHA estimated that the lack of a Missouri Medicaid expansion would result in a minimum of 5,000 jobs lost or a reduction of $1.9 billion in capital investments at hospitals. Missouri has yet to decide if it will expand the program, which covers nearly 900,000 low-income Missourians.